Improvement in organ-actions



J. R. PARKER. Organ Action.

No. 205,499. Patented July 2,1878.

N.PEIERS. PHoTU-LITHOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON. Dv C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFITIOE.

OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN ORGAN-ACTIONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 205,499, dated July :2,1878; application filed June 14, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES R. PARKER, of Wayne township, county ofAshtabula, State of Ohio, have invented or discovered a new and usefulImprovement in Organ-Actions; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, concise, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanyin g drawing, making a part of thisspeciiication, in whichlike letters indicating like parts- Figure l is abottom-plan view of the two ends of an organ-action illustrative of myimprovement` the bottom board ofthe soundingbox or valve-chamber beingbroken away in part, so as to expose the interior arrangement, and oneof the valves being also removed; and F ig. 2 is a transverse sectionalview of an organ-action and valve-chamber, also illustrative of the sameimprovement.

My improvement relates particularly to the arrangement of the springswhich control the reed-valvesv of organs, melodeons, and other likemusical instruments.

It is well known that in instruments of this class the touch or heft ofthe action, so called, depends wholly or largely upon the spring orsprings which hold the reed-valves to their seats, since it is the poweror resistance of these springs which must be overcome in pressing downthe keys and opening the valves. As heretofore arranged, one end ofthese valve-springs has been set in afixed bar, called a spring-bar,77in such way that the other end of the spring might bear on the propervalve with a iixed force or pressure. This spring-bar has been glued orperinanently iixed to the under side of the reed or soundingboard,either in front or back of the valves, and, when once placed, wasimmovable, and the pressure of the spring, when once set, could bechanged only by permanently bending the spring, or by resetting it at adifferent angle or position.

The objections to this construction are that the touch or heft of theaction, when once fixed, is practically unchangeahle, except as thesprings become weakened by use, which itself is an objection; also, inorder to remove the valves from their seats in iittin g or repairing,`the sprin g which presses upon them must be turned sidewise off thevalves, which loosens the setting of the spring in the spring-bar; also,the process of iitting the springs and valves is a tedious one,requiring great care to so set each spring as to secure a uniform andeven action through the instrument.

The object of my invention is to overcome these difficulties, and alsosecure other important advantages never before attained in instrumentsof this class.

In the drawing, A represents the keys of lan ordinary reed-organ, whichkeys are adjusted on the key-frame B in the usual or any suitable way. Cis the reed-board, of ordinary construction, and c the upper soundinboard, to which the reed-board is glued. The reeds, which may be of anysuitable construction, may be secured in the reed-cells cl in the usualway. An air port or passage, c2, leads from the reed-cells, or from eachof them, through the board c to the valve-chamber or air-chest below.These ports or passages are covered by valves b, of the usualconstruction, and tracker or push pins clead fom the keys to the valves,so that, upon pressing down the keys, the valves will be forced fromtheir seats and their respective air-passages cZ opened.

The valve-chamber is constructed, in the usual way, of bottom board Bland side walls B2, covered by the board c. The usual or any suitablebellows device may be connected with this valve-chamber, for creating aeurrent of air through the reeds when the valves b are opened.

The parts thus far mentioned may be constructed in any known or suitableway, and arranged as suits the builder, and, as their functions are wellknown, they need not be particularly described.

Instead of a spring-bar immovablyxed to some part of the valve-chamber,I employ a movable hinged or adjustable bar, E, which is jointed, byahinge, n, orother suitable joint-conn ection, to the side wall B2 ofthevalve-cli amber, the side walls being attached to the board c, so as tobe removable with it; or the jointconnection may be to the board cdirect. If hinges are employed, a sufficient number should be used togive the requisite strength, and the spring-bar employed should be ofproper size to secure stiffness and strength.

' as he may desire.

This movable feature of the springbar may, however, be secured in otherways than by a hinged joint-connectionas, for example, it may bearranged in guides which will admit of the proper motion; or it maybejointed in other known or suitable ways and to other parts of thevalve-chamber, as in the rear instead of in front of the valves; and allsuch modifications I consider as coming within my improvement andinvention, the essential feature being th at the bar E, in which thevalve-sprin gs s are set, may be adjustable or movable, so that thepressure of these springs upon the valves b may be varied by theadjustment of the bar. I prefer a hinged connection, however, as shown,for convenience bot-h in construction and in making repairs.

The springs s may be of any desired form, and one end is set in the barE in the usual way, so that when the bar is put in place the other endmay rest upon the proper valve at the desired point. When thevalve-springs are set as shown in the drawing, a small hole is piercedin the bar in the proper position and direction, and the end of thespring is forced into such hole. In the old construction this settingmust be done after the spring bar is glued in place, when the springsmust all be set under tension to secure the desired pressure upon thevalves; and it is a matter of considerable difficulty, and calling forno little skill, to determine the proper setting of the springs in thisway, while in my improvement the springs may all be set before the baris hinged or jointed in place, and with the springs free from tension,so that the utmost uniformity maybe secured in their setting, as well asconvenience and expedition; and when the bar is then put in position andadjusted a uniform and even pressure will be secured through theinstrument so far as the setting of the springs can effect the same, andthus an even touch secured. Also, by adj nstin g the bar E the desireddegree of pressure upon the valves may be secured far more readily thanwhen such pressure is determined solely bythe'angle at which the springsare set in the bar. Also, when it is desired to remove the valves, thesprings may all be lifted from them at onceV by freeing the bar andturning it back on its hinges or joint. These advantages, as secured bymy improvement, are of special utility to the manufacturer.

Any suitable device, as screws or blocks, may be employed for retainingthe bar E in the desired position of adjustment when once fixed by themaker, these parts being inclosed within the valve-chamber; but byadding an adjusting device, which extends outside the l valve-chamber, Ibring this adjustable feature within the direction of the user oroperator,

' so that by varying the position of the springbar he may vary the touchor heft of the action This is especially desirable in instruments to beused by children as well as adults.

I have shown in the drawings set-screws r,

which work through the bottom board B of the valve-chamber, and pressagain st the under side of the bar E, thus holding it to its position;and a sufficient number should be employed, depending upon the size ofthe instrument, to hold the bar rmly. The opening for these screwsthrough the board Bl may be packed in any suitable way to preventleaking.

When arranged as shown, these adjustingscrews r will be of easy access,as they will range along the under side of the valve-chamber in front oroutside of the lower case, and on either side of the position usuallygiven the knee-swell, and by turning these screws the operator or usercan make the desired change in the pressure of the valvesprings s. Otheradjusting devices may be employed, however, as, for example, slidingwedges, eccentrics, or a combination of levers, operated either byscrews or stops; and they may be made accessible from other parts of theinstrument; but such changes I include within my invention. In thisadjustment it is sufficient to provide for moving the bar in onedirection, since the force or power of the springs s will move it in theopposite direction when opportunity is given.

I prefer to employ the adjusting-screws described, both for simplicityand convenience. I also prefer to limit the range of adjustment of thespring-bar, so as to prevent either a too heavy or too light pressureupon the valves. which might otherwise be caused by unskilled adjustmentof the bar E.

In order to prevent too heavy pressure, the screws r may be limited tothe proper length, or the bar E may be so shaped as to leave a limitedspace in which it can move in that direction before coming againstblocks or stops o, or some fixed part of the chamber, as the board c orside B2; and in order to prevent too light pressure, and also to preventthe springs from letting up entirely, so that the valves may be held inplace with some pressure when the board o and actionproper is removed, Iemploy screws w, or equivalent stop devices. These screws pass, bypreference, through the bar E and into the board c, or some partconnected with that board, so that, the Vface of the bar coming againstthe heads of the stop-screws w, the further motion of the bar will bearrested, and further. unscrewing of the adj usting-screws r can do noharm.

Other stop devices may be used to effect these results; but I prefer toattach them to the board o, either directly, as shown, or indirectly, sothat when the action is removed from the valve-chamber for any cause thesprings may be held upon the valves with some pressure. Thus such stopswill be useful both to the manufacturer and user.

If desired, metal or other hard plates wmay be secured to the under sideof the spring-bar, against which the screws fr work..

I claim herein as my invention- 1. In a musical instrument, thecombination of reed-valves, valve-springs, and an adjust-able or movablespring-bar, arranged substantially as described, whereby the pressure ofthe springs upon the Valves may be varied by the adjustment of thespring-bar.

2. The combination of reed-valves, valvesprings, and an adj ustablesprin g-bar, arranged inside the valve-chamber, and an adjusting deviceextending outside such chamber, sub` stantially as set forth, wherebythe pressure ofthe springs upon the valves may be varied at the will ofthe user or operator.

3. The combination of an adjustable or movable spring-bar and one ormore stop devices, substantially as set forth, whereby the range ofmotion of the spring-bar is limited.

4. The combination, in a musical instrument, of keys, tracker or pushpins, reedyalves, valve-springs, an adj ustable or movable springbar, anadjusting' device to operate the bar, and a stop device or devices tolimit the range of adjustment of the bar, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES R. PARKER.

Vitnesses:

J. J. McGoRMIoK, CLAUDIUs L. PARKER.

